This encounter turned out to be somewhat lackluster. Barry Ferguson, the interim manager of Rangers, received the first booking a mere 84 minutes after the Derby, and both teams seemed content with a draw as the match progressed. For most of the 97 minutes, the game lacked the fireworks fans might have hoped for—definitely not a match for the purists among us.
Celtic might be feeling a sense of relief when all’s said and done. They managed to avoid a third consecutive league defeat against their longstanding rivals, a feat they haven’t accomplished since the 1996-97 season. They bounced back from a goal down, showing better form in the second half, but the Rangers always posed a threat on the counter. Late on, Hamza Igamane and Nicolas Raskin could have clinched it for the home side, but missed the mark. Ferguson and his team argued fervently for a penalty in the closing minutes, but it went unnoticed.
Moments at either end seemed to define the first half, with Rangers taking an interval lead that felt almost precarious. Adam I Eye wasn’t convincing in setting up Leo Hutt’s strike, and Liam Kelly came up big to stop Ida’s efforts. Shortly after, Cyriel Dessers capitalized on a lapse in concentration from Liam’s defense, finishing smoothly over Biljami Sinisalo.
Celtic’s equalizer also sparked some controversy. Aida’s shot, initially ruled out for offside during the build-up because of Daizen Maeda, was allowed after a lengthy VAR review, which decided Maeda’s position wasn’t relevant to Kelly’s role in goal.
From then on, both teams struggled to find their rhythm. Despite having a good chunk of possession, Celtic failed to really test Kelly in goal. Meanwhile, Rangers have now gone six games without a win, and Ferguson is still chasing a home victory. For Celtic, who clinched the title just last weekend, leaving Ibrox with a draw might feel like a small win heading into the spring.
